#LostInTranslation #ChineseWhispers #IdiotOsborne:
Obsessed
A government obsessed with shrinking the state through its neo-liberal ideology will today sign a contract permitting two foreign powers – one of them a ruthless neo-liberal dictatorship and enemy of supposed British values of free speech and democracy, the other merely French – to purchase UK infrastructure allowing them to profiteer from UK taxpayers by charging extortionate prices for energy. This will ensure that citizens in their own countries may benefit from cheaper energy and rail travel at the expense of the British taxpayer whilst simultaneously adding to a balance of trade deficit with the major of the two powers – already measured in the tens of billions – and leaving behind them waste so toxic it will continue to pollute the United Kingdom for hundreds of years to come at absolutely no cost to themselves.
This is then hailed by the Murdoch press, said government and idiot-child chancellor, George Osborne, as a major success for the UK economy and the British people. Upon hearing of this success, the British people came out in droves to wave a little red flag by way of saying thank you to the ruler of an authoritarian one-party state.
Victory
Such is the scale of this apparent victory that, throwing austerity to the wind, we have spent millions on a lavish state visit of President Xi Jinping of China, where the shafting of the UK electorate can be portrayed on endless TV channels, both here and abroad, as the biggest thing since the triumph of democracy over European fascism in 1945. This shafting – without so much as a by your leave, or even a paltry reach-around – resembles little more than an open invitation to break-in to one’s house and leave with as much as you can comfortably carry.
That’s a Nice Economy… I’ll have that!
How pleasantly surprised our burglar must be, to find, upon climbing through the jemmied window, that an elaborate party replete with bunting and tea and cakes with Granny has been laid on for his arrival. “Welcome! Please, do bring the wife!” Perceived racist inscrutability no doubt melting to more than just a broad smile as the fawning ranks of the burgled cry “Speech! Speech!”, their trousers dropping to their ankles as they assume the position. A children’s entertainer – not booked blind, mind – pulls a bouquet of red poppies from his sleeve before magically turning Steelworkers into Benefit Scroungers for his finale. All applaud. Cheap Chinese patent-busting Viagra-substitutes lay piled on the best silverware lest any further encouragement be needed to bring this predation to its natural conclusion.
Come back soon
No doubt Xi Jinping will be sad to leave. His pockets full, his load shot, his desires sated. The long flight home shortened by memories of the incredible generosity, hospitality, and sheer stupidity of his British hosts, Yes, an immensely successful visit. His good luck reflected in the new English proverbs contained within the fortune cookies presented to him by the now sore and waddling Osborne and supplied by the ‘Norther Powerhouse Fortune Cookie Company’ – a small cooperative in Manchester set up to replace the British steel industry – ‘Black is White’, ‘More is Less’, ‘Ignorance is Strength’, ‘Prosperity through Poverty’. He reads them to his wife. They both laugh uncontrollably. A little bit of wee spoils their new Marks and Spencer underwear.
As a once great north European Democracy slowly morphs into a Murdochracy, others begin to eye the remains of the carcass left by the absurd logic of the Madness of King George.
Putin may bring Assad over at the weekend to see if there is anything left.
Anvil Springstien.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-34587650
Today’s Fun Quiz for all the Family:
Question One:
‘Where will the steel used to build UK nuclear reactors come from?’
Question Two:
Back to the Past: A question to celebrate ‘Back to The Future Day‘.
In the future, we were told, we would all drive hovercars, holiday on the Moon, eat freeze-dried food and be so productive we would only work a three hour week. I saw it all on Tomorrow’s World. Sadly we never got the hover-cars or the trip to the Moon, though freeze-dried food is now ubiquitous in food banks and refugee camps. We certainly achieved – indeed bettered – the productivity through the use of computers and robotics, but now appear to work longer hours for only slightly better pay. Where did all the wealth from all that increased productivity go? Did someone steal it? Is it down the back of the couch?
Note:
For American readers of this blog confused by the title of this article: ‘Chinese Whispers’ is a British children’s game that you may know in your country as ‘Telephone’. ‘Telephone’, as a title, may well catch on here as I recall a recent objection to the phrase ‘Chinese’ Whispers (due to the obvious casual racism displayed by equating an incomprehensible message with the inability to understand a completely foreign language such as Mandarin). To be honest, I often get a bit lost with the whole PC thing, much of it being double-dutch to me.